From Tool to Treasure
by Mustangmoon23
Summary: Use and abuse wears down a weary soul, until feelings are stirred within a darkened heart, turning what was once a mear tool, into the treasure of one's heart.
1. Chapter 1

Gemshipping

His heart thud like the war drums of a distant memory, yet one so vivid, it seemed palpable, like he were reliving the nightmare over and over and over. The Egyptian sun blazed down upon him, baking his dark skin covered in scars. The wind swept past, blowing grains of sand up into his stoic face as he stared off into the distant dunes. This was his home. This was where he was born and planned to die, for the vengeance of his people…

He trekked on over the scorched sand, thin sandals 'protecting' his feet as he marched to his destination. The sun was now sinking below the horizon, a ruby as red as the blood of his family spilled on the same sands all those years ago. By the time night fell, he had reached the palace walls. He clutched the cold gold lying upon his chest for reassurance, and under cover of the shadows, he slid along, a snake ready to strike at the slightest threat. He glided over the earth with the grace acquired only through endless practice and experience, his feet not making the tiniest of sounds as he moved along.

Finally, he was within the palace, past the royal guards standing post along its border. He made his way through the countless breezeways, buildings, corridors, and rooms looking for that one treasure that would assure his revenge. His lithe body clung to the columns like darkness in the night sky. He reached one section a little further ways away, separated from the palace itself. Could it be a shrine of sorts? A safe for the treasure in which he seeks? He dashed across the expanse and crouched next to the door. He could hear breathing and rustling around. Is it a guard? He slowly stretched his neck in order to face the opening to see inside. It looked as though bundles were laid out in rows along the floor.

He cautiously stood up and crept inside for a closer look and… Came face to face with large chocolate colored eyes, wide with terror. The thief realized his mistake. This was no shrine or safe, but a slaves quarters! Sudden disbelief flooded him as he blinked and noticed the terrified slave was no longer in front of him, but running past him for all he was worth. The thief grumbled in frustration and cursed under his breath as he made a mad dash to get as far as the hell way from the palace as he could before he got ratted out by that little bitch and caught by the guards.

He broke free of the palace walls that constricted his heart with hatred and high tailed it toward his haven far enough away to avoid capture. He slows once at the outskirts of the village surrounding the Pharaoh's palace and dragged himself to his home. He finally looked up as he approached his own village of Kul Elna. A look of warm recognition flickered across his hardened features, then one of sadness and desperation before his face returned to its stoic, constant scowl. He walked past the familiar buildings with his head to the sky cursing Ra for what he allowed, and asking for an answer to his prayers.

Once at the doorstep of where he stayed, he swept aside the loosely hung wooden door and ducked in, breathing in the familiar scent of his families hut. His eyes snapped open and scanned the quarters; his muscles tense and his hand reaching toward the hilt of the dagger at his waist. He felt the disturbance of his now not-so-empty abode. Like that of a wild feline, his muscles rippled as he leaped toward one corner and tackled the huddled figure that was lurking there. The dagger was plunged toward the throat when an unearthly scream rang through the air and familiar brown eyes snapped open in dread. The glint of the dagger matched the utter shock that glistened in the thief's eye before rage flared up into those gray orbs.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing here?" He bellowed in anger at the same slave he saw earlier that night. The slave cowered in the grasp that was practically ripping the long, silver hair from his sensitive skull.

"I-I. I…" The smaller boy stuttered in dismay as the man before him shook him roughly.

"I asked you a damn question! Why the hell are you here? Are there others? Did you bring guards?

"N-no!" The boy uttered out, shaking his head fervently despite the pain it caused. He winced. However, the thief visibly calmed at the knowledge that neither of them had been followed. He tossed the smaller one aside and sat with an _fwump_ onto his cot. He looked down at his palms in contemplation and then tossed the dagger he had been clutching into the dust at his feet. Why did shit like this always happen to him? He finally looked over to get a closer look at his newfound capture.

The moonlight shining through the still open door way offered little lighting sufficient enough to see in any great detail. The thief's wary, gray eyes roamed up and down the form curled on the opposite wall before him. The boy was only a year or two younger than he, but his lines were softer, like those of a child. His eyes were large and a deep brown; silvery bangs, the color of the moon, hung limply upon his forehead. He had a slight frame and was shorter than himself by about a head. His hair ran down his back and long, slim arms; his skin was almost as pale as his hair. He truly was a sight to behold. "If you were into that sort of thing," the thief thought with a snort, admonishing himself for where his thoughts began to linger.

He reached out tentatively for the boy who flinched as he brought his hand near. But the thief meant no harm, at least not then. He simply scooped up a handful of the moonlit strands of silver and sifted them through his fingers. It was real alright, soft as the silk he'd steal and the scent of lotus blossoms wafted toward him. The boy gave him a scared and bewildered look, but did not back away. If anything, he seemed just as fascinated with his captor. The thief smirked.

Chocolate orbs strayed from his captors mesmerizing eyes and raked over the ripped body before him. Tanned skin veiled with scars stretched across his uncovered chest beneath his red robe, chiseled muscles twitched under his skin. Hair nearly as light as his spiked unkempt from the sculpted face containing those deeps eyes the color of a stormy sea. A rumbling was heard and he realized that the man before him had asked him a question.

"Hey, I asked you a question. Answer me wench." He ground out in annoyance.

"Ah-, y-yes, s-sorry I d-didn't catch t-that." He stumbled over his words in fright and embarrassment from so openly gawking.

"I asked you how the hell you got here. How'd you know about this place?" The man repeated, not liking to repeat himself, but half amused at the boys embarrassment.

"I-I d-didn't." He said and cleared his throat. "When I saw you sneaking around, I-I knew you were a-a t-thief and ran blindly. I f-found this abandoned v-village out of l-luck." He explained cautiously.

"Abandoned? You think the people who lived here just up and LEFT? You have no fucking idea what happened here! How dare you make such accusations?" The thief thundered.

The escaped slave's eyes widened in shock at the blow up and he attempted to scoot back. "I-I d-didn't m-mean any o-offense!" He cried. "I d-didn't realize that something e-else h-had h-happened!" He persuaded hoping to calm the unpredictable being before him down.

The thief huffed and glared in barely suppressed anger, but willed himself to sit back down and try to pry some more information from the other male. "Why didn't you rat me out, or send the guards after me? After all, you claim to have known I was a thief." The man was actually truly curious about this. If it were anyone else he was sure he'd be in the hands of the men who killed his family, being tossed in some Ra-forsaken cell beneath the palace floors to be forgotten, either that or awaiting his execution. The boy just stared at him bewildered; He honestly wasn't sure himself.

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So, this is my first ever entry to the site! I hope eveyone or anyone reading it enjoyed it, even if only a little. Please read and review! With it being my very first uploaded work, I really want to know what you all think about it and how I can improve. I know it's a short chapter, but I feel it's a good start. If anyone is reading this, I really appreciate your support!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The smaller of the two fidgeted uncomfortably for a few moments, trying to find the right words to answer the thief's question. "W-well, I-I w-was new to the palace when I-I had seen you. Despite the o-okay living c-conditions, I w-was g-given Hell for m-my white hair and p-pale s-skin. I guess b-between fear and h-hatred for the p-place, I just decided t-to r-run." The younger one stumbled through his explanations, his nose scrunched in thought. It was quite endearing.

Wait. Did he think just think of the former slave before him as…? Cute? He mentally slapped himself and blamed it on his sore body and the stress of the night. He sighed and finally looked up from the floor to look at the other male. "You. You get that corner," he stated pointing into the farthest niche in the hut. With that the thief lay down and turned his back to the smaller one. The slave scooted himself along the wall to his appointed corner and was about to close his eyes when it occurred to him-

"I don't know your name." He said with a little bit of nervousness racking his voice.

"… Akefia..." The thief finally informed, and was silent once more.

"Ryou," the other told him as he leaned his head on the cold, dirt floor; they both fell asleep after that.

The next morning Ryou woke with a soft kick to the gut. He curled into himself with a groan as his eyes opened slightly. Suddenly, he jumped into a sitting position, having remembered where he was and why; white hair was in an unruly mess from a sleepless night of tossing and turning. He looked into annoyed purple-gray eyes with a distrustful, but an apologetic look. "Get up; we need to eat before we speak about your tenure here." Ryou was baffled, but stood on his tired, aching legs and followed the man without question.

They walked in silence until they were out of the empty, haunted village, and came to a small side stream that branched from the Nile. Akefia simply slipped off his sandals and robe and walked into the cool, murky waters. Ryou stood on the bank, unsure as the thief rinsed himself off. Akefia turned to him with a gruff look upon his face and told him," If you want your breakfast, you're gonna haft 'a catch it." With that he removed the dagger from his waist and held it above his head. In a flash, almost too quick for the eye to see, Akefia threw it down into the water. In a matter of seconds, he was wading out onto the bank with a fish speared upon his knife.

Ryou watched in awe as he walked past with his catch. He blinked at the realization that if he didn't get in there and try now, he'd be going hungry today. Ryou slunk cautiously into the water and gasped at the cold temperature as it soaked his thin tunic and seeped into his bones. He shivered slightly, but continued toward the center. By the time he reached the middle of the stream he was stomach deep, where as for Akefia, it was only to his waist. Ryou waited for the sediments to settle so he could better see his target and waited patiently for one to swim by. Suddenly, he felt a smooth body swim against one of his legs and he looked down with anticipation for his meal. However, what he saw was hardly something to be joyful about.

The poor boy turned to stone at the sight of the large snake winding its way around him. Although the animal seemed oblivious to the human, Ryou knew that if he were to move, he was a goner. At this point Akefia had finished cooking his meal upon a small fire he made and had looked up to see what was taking the little twerp so long. He was about to grumble an annoyed hurry up when his eyes met fearful brown that seemed to plead for help. The thief followed his line of sight down and nearly fell backward laughing at the sight of the frightened boy and the snake. He stood chuckling and ambled casually to the bank, taking his sweet ass time and making poor Ryou suffer with the dangerous animal longer. In the blink of an eye, Akefia had aimed his dagger again and tossed it with efficient accuracy and impaled the slithering creature in the neck.

Ryou let out a terrified squeak and flinched back. This caused him to lose his balance in the soft current and the boy fell backward, sufficiently soaking himself through. This just added to the entertainment for Akefia as he bent over holding his abs and laughing at the pathetic and helpless human before him. Ryou sputtered and spit water from his mouth as he stood up. Realizing that he had scared away all breakfast prospects with his blunder, he slumped dejectedly back to the edge to attempt drying off. Akefia, having retrieved his dagger, snake and all, placed it above the flame, still smiling to himself at the boy's clumsiness.

While Ryou stood a little ways away, trying to keep from torturing himself with the sight and smell of the fresh cooked food, he rang out his long white hair and his now practically see-through clothes. He blushed profusely at his almost exposure as he prayed the sun would work its magic quickly.

Suddenly, he heard a soft _thump _behind him and turned to see a partially eaten fish on the ground. While it wasn't the ideal meal, he was grateful for it anyway and scarfed it down hurriedly. He hardly noticed as the thief looked on in contempt and something else that glowed dimly in his eyes as he finished off the snake and stood up to leave.

Ryou took note of this and finished off his measly breakfast, burying the bones and kicking sand over the makeshift pit to kill the fire. Akefia, having already walked away, was a good distance from him and Ryou had to run to catch up.

Upon returning to the thief's home, he opened the rotting wood covers upon the ragged, square windows carved into the hut, allowing sunlight to pour into the small room. Then he turned to Ryou, who gulped anxiously, his mouth and throat dry. "So…" Akefia began, leaning against the back wall, arms and legs crossed. He looked intimidating. "As you should know, there's no way in hell I'm letting you stay here for free or for no reason, and while it's tempting, I'm not so cruel as to dump you outside of my home and leave you to die. The reason for this is because I need you. I could use you and your knowledge of the palace in order to attain what I desire." He explained flatly as if it were the facts of life itself. He looked up from his musings and locked his harsh gaze with the uneasy eyes of Ryou. "In return for shelter and food, you will tell me everything you know about that damned Pharaoh and his palace, and you will accompany me on my little 'visits' there."

Ryou stilled, wide-eyed at the thief's demands. He tried to weigh his options, but realized he really didn't have any. What Akefia was saying… He wasn't asking, but telling, meaning that it was help him or die, and Ryou knew this. Scrunching his eyes shut and preparing himself for the contract he was putting himself into he opened them again with clenched fists and slowly nodded his agreement. His new 'master' simply smirked with dreadfully white teeth and stood up, beckoned Ryou to follow him, and turned toward a door along the left wall.

Akefia moved aside a creaky, worn divider to reveal a very small storage room adjacent to the main room of the hut. He swung his arm out, telling Ryou to enter as if he were obliging the poor boy by allowing him to stay in the run down and dirty space. "This is where you will stay. You will not leave until you told you are allowed to, or I plan to go on one of my 'missions,' and you will not speak unless spoken to. Got it pet?" He sneered. "There are empty grain sacks in which you can use as bedding, and enough straw to keep you busy for the next couple of days. I want a new, light-weight basket that's small enough to sling over my shoulder and carry the valuables I plan to obtain. I want it finished in 2 days time." With that the man slammed the shutter-like door behind Ryou to leave him in a lonely, dark solitude.

Ryou worked day and night in order to finish the basket in which Akefia required as well as trying to bring some cleanliness and ordered to the cluttered and cramped space he was now forced to live in. After the first day his hands knees were raw from kneeling and his hands blistered from the continuous work. At some points over those two treacherous days he began to wonder if he made the better decision. The only times he had been allowed out were to relieve himself or to find himself something to eat. Normally, Ryou wouldn't mind, but the thief was cold and ungrateful for his service, making him resent the man despite his fair amount of privileges. However, he knew that if it were anyone else, he probably wouldn't have been so lucky.

On the third day, hours before the sun was due to rise, a deep voice and a rough shaking woke Ryou from his slumber. He opened his tired eyes to the sight of Akefia standing over him with a wicked grin, white enough to slash through the dark room, and his recently finished basket slung over his shoulder. "Hey pet," he called for Ryou snidely. "It's time to go." And without another word or moment of hesitation, he scooped Ryou up under his arm and left the hut, fading into the desert night with his little servant in tow.

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Okay you guys, I tried to make this chapter a tad longer, even though it's only got about 200 more words than the first one:/ Anyway, so Akefia and Ryou are going on their first steal together! Sweet right?... Yeah I know, I'm so cruel for putting Ryou in such a predicament, but I promise it will get better! As usual, read and review please! Not required of course, but definately helpful and appreciatd! 3


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The two finally reached the outer walls of the Pharaoh's kingdom with little difficulty. They slid along the wall, under the cover of the shadows, making their way toward one of the gated entrances, when suddenly Ryou tripped. The poor boy, as inexperienced as he was in criminalist activities, practically floundered in the dark trying to feel his way around when his foot had caught on a pot of stored water. As he began to fall forward, he let out an _"EEP!" _and caught the attention of the nearby guards.

"Useless wench!" Akefia's hoarse whisper carried over to him harshly as the thief slammed a hand over the boy's mouth, tightening his grip upon his jaw to keep him from falling completely. Ryou let out a pained cry, muffled by Akefia's hand, as he was dragged deeper into the shadows and behind the large pot in which he had bumped into. The guards that were alerted by the sound ran past in search of the disturbance. Akefia took the opportunity to slip past, pulling his liability along with him.

Inching quickly along, they whisked themselves through the entrance and fully into the palace. Once off the side and out of sight and ear-shot, Akefia shook Ryou roughly. "Alright, now I'm depending on you to get us in and out of here alive and _not_ empty-handed. Got it?" The thief's voice penetrated the darkness. Ryou simply nodded his head vigorously, too out of breath and fearful of getting caught to speak. He only hoped that Akefia had seen his sign of understanding in the dark.

They continued on without delay, Akefia listening carefully to Ryou's hushed directions as his 'assistant' told what he could about the palace layout. The thief glided silently along the pathways while Ryou's steps softly crunched on the sand beneath him. Every small sound produced made them both wince.

They soon came upon the corridor lined with columns that Ryou had directed them to. Taking care to hide themselves in the protection the large, stone carvings provided them, they advanced down the grand hallway before them. Already aware of the guards that were assigned posts along the way, Akefia took to the heights. He shimmied up one of the stone statues to the top of the wall itself, where large windows were cut, separating wall from ceiling. He reached down and gently pulled Ryou up behind him.

The boy blinked in surprise and opened his mouth to say something; anything toward the first, slightest bit of courtesy shown by the thief, but a gruff shut up made him close his gaping mouth as they continued on. Dashing from pillar to pillar, they progressed along the hallway unnoticed by the guards below.

"So tell me, how are you so sure that there's anything of value down here?" Akefia asked Ryou as they made their way past the next pillar.

"I'm not." Akefia whipped around and glared with all of Hell's fury ablaze in his eyes. "I-I mean, I figured it would be obvious that there's _something_ of value if there are so many guards patrolling it?" Ryou quickly corrected his statement into more of an unsure question as the glare he had received left him visibly shaking. Akefia pressed his eyes tightly shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You had better hope that there's something worth this trouble in there. It would be shame to have to eliminate someone so '_helpful'_ as you," he scoffed, turning around and leaving a quaking Ryou to stare terrified at his back.

They were soon at the end of the road traveling above the watchful eyes of the guards. The entry to the chamber at the end of the corridor they had just traveled, and there was only one way in. "Damn it, it figures…" Akefia grumbled to himself in frustration. He turned to Ryou slowly as a smirk crept its way up his face. Ryou just about lost it then and there.

"How much do you trust me?" The thief asked curiously as he took a step closer to the terrified boy.

"Would I offend you if I told you I didn't" Ryou asked shakily, his arms rose in an attempt to deflect any blow that might be sent his way. A frown swept across Akefia's face, but was gone just as quickly, and that sadistic smile was back where it belonged.

"Well, I suppose that's your problem!" He lunged forward, grabbing Ryou by the back of his cotton top and tossed him to the sharks.

"EEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP!" The shriek rang out through the hall in echoes as Ryou was flung into the air. He landed with an _fwump_ on something that didn't feel quite like the dirt floor that was supposed to be there. He looked down slowly, only to realize he had landed square onto the back of one of the guards!

The boy nearly fainted from the fright that overwhelmed him. He found himself suddenly surrounded as the guards along the great hall rushed to investigate the occurring turbulence. Ryou now found himself surrounded and felt his throat grow tight, however, he remembered what the thief had asked him and searched frantically with his eyes for the familiar figure within the rush. _"He had better be successful and come and come back to get me," _Ryou thought fervently, _"or Ra help him…"_

His roaming eyes finally fell upon a shadow slipping behind the large set of doors. Ryou heaved a relieved sigh as Akefia swept past unnoticed. He looked away quickly so as not to alert the guards to the other intruder in their midst. He returned his misted gaze toward the accusing glares being shot at him and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the lie of, no, _for _his life.

"I greatly apologize for all the trouble I have caused. I didn't mean to rouse such a ruckus! You see, I'm a new slave that was imported to this palace just a short time ago, and I still don't know my way around. I seem to have lost my way back to the slave quarters when my shift ended this evening. I've been wandering the palace grounds since!" Ryou spoke in a soft rush, his head bowed and his hands folded, pleading for the unneeded and undeserved forgiveness of the guards before him.

"I see. We'll just have to fix that won't we," a dangerous grin began to tug its way across one of the guards' face, the others following suit. Two of them each grabbed one of Ryou's arms and yanked him forward.

"Aren't you a pretty little slave?" One of them snickered pushing him toward another pair of eager hands.

"It's a wonder I haven't seen you before, new or not. You are certainly too _special_ to be forgotten so easily," another sneered as Ryou was then shoved roughly into another pair of awaiting hands that gripped him roughly at the waist.

"What a shame, you got lost. I'll be happy to show you back to your _room_, but there will have to be a _payment of course_…" This guard implied huskily, rubbing his thumb along Ryou's thigh as his eyes clouded with lust.

Ryou shook and struggled. He was utterly terrified. He had never imagined it would turn out like this. Where was Akefia! Oh how he wished he would hurry and come rescue him. He would never admit this aloud of course, but the idea became more and more pleasant as the guards' grips became more rough and demanding, more eager and uncomfortable.

"N-no! D-don't! Please…" Ryou begged as they began to touch him more vigorously. Sudden'y, one of them removed a dagger from his waist. Ryou froze in dread as the cold metal shone evilly in the moonlight. When he felt it touch his chest his heart stopped. He gasped desperately for air as silent sobs racked his body. The knife never broke his skin, but stung his flesh just the same as it traveled southward, slashing its way down his thin tunic.

Despite the situation, he couldn't help the blush that erupted onto his face as more and more of his body was revealed to the hungry monsters before him. _"Please… Stop…"_ Ryou thought hopelessly. Why was Ra so cruel to him?

Just as one of the guards began to position himself behind Ryou in the hopes of an entertaining break from his shift, an almighty roar sounded from behind the distracted group. The next thing Ryou knew, a strong arm wrapped itself around his stomach, picked him up, and threw him over a broad shoulder. He wasn't sure if he should be terrified or relieved. Back to their senses, the guards snatched up their weapons and took chase after the two disappearing figures.

Akefia, running as fast as he could with the weight of Ryou and his now full basket weighing him down, sprinted back the way they had come, taking a few shortcuts through areas in the palace he recognized. However, when they came up to the gate, only more guards awaited them!

"Shit!" Akefia cursed the Pharaoh and his men through 9 hells and back as his sandaled feet beat the ground. Improvising his strategies, he dashed his way up along the roofs of the palace buildings until he was running along the top of the surrounding wall. This didn't last long however as both ways became blocked off by groups of palace guards.

As the two enemy forces advanced, the thief had no choice but to back away. He paused as he felt his heels droop. There was no longer anywhere to run. Or was there? He was balanced on the edge of the wall, his back to freedom. Ryou was bug-eyed as he stared down at the ground that seemed eons away. The guards smirked in victory as they came closer still. However, their expressions of triumph changed to those of confusion as Akefia seemed to smile _with_ them.

Without warning Ryou was once again airborne as Akefia tossed him over the wall. He would have screamed, but his voice caught in his throat, eyes and mouth wide in silent terror. _"He really needs to stop doing that,"_ Ryou mumbled mentally. He was not alone this time though. With a flashing smile and a cheeky wave, Akefia seemed to skip off the wall to his supposed doom down below. What they landed upon however, was in fact… A horse. Swiping the long mane into his tight fists, the thief and his pet took off with the kick of his heels, leaving a dumbfounded and extremely pissed regiment in their wake.

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Another short chapter *sigh* I'm soooooooo sosososososo sorry that it took me sooooo long to update! And then when I did it was this puny piece TTATT However, I did try to make it more action packed! Not that that's an excuse... ANyway dearies, as usual I hope you enjoyed it and a review would be wonderful, but not necessary;) Caoi!~ 3


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Silence. The pair traveled at a droning pace further from the palace. They did not speak, and the air was filled with the rhythmic beating of the horse's hooves upon the shifting sands. The thief and his subordinate carried on across the desert toward the empty, desolate village of Kul Elna. Akefia had not slowed the horse until he had deemed them safe from the pharaoh's men.

Both were out of breath. Their hearts hammered in their ribcages as they sought to calm themselves. Ryou had been trembling, but Akefia was simply overcoming the thrill of the chase. However, there was something, something nagging at him from the back of his clouded mind that made him feel agitated and on-end. What was it? What was it about the night's events that caused him this uneasy, sinking feeling tugging at his gut and heart? After some deep thought with no satisfying conclusion to it, the young thief brushed it off as a side-effect of the close call earlier.

As the sun rose higher into the now sapphire Egyptian sky, the silence was finally broken by the deep voice at the head of the horse.

"Are-… Are you alright?" Akefia asked gruffly as he strained his eyes to focus on the burning sand before him rather than the being behind him.

"Huh?"

"Are you hurt?!" The thief forced out again with great annoyance.

"I-I'm fine." Ryou replied nervously, but for the most part drained of emotion as his eyes began to feel heavier and heavier each time he blinked.

"Liar." It was all Akefia said as the village appeared into view.

Ryou, thankful to have made it, finally succumbed to his exhaustion and fell asleep, falling forward to rest upon the thief's broad back.

Akefia stiffened at the contact and began to shift uncomfortably in his seat. '_Why? Why did these things always happen to him? Oh shut up you pussy. Be a man!_' He argued to himself internally. As quickly as the awkward feeling washed over him, it disappeared as his resolve hardened. He began to focus instead on how the hell he was going to get them off the damn horse in this position and how, until the little sucker woke up, he would have to take care of things himself.

Ryou awoke slowly; his eyes fluttered open in the light shining into the hut. His body ached and he let out a small whimper as he rolled onto his back. '_Wait… Sunlight?'_ There were no windows in his usual store space. And what was he lying on? It felt more comfortable than his pile of sacks. Where was he? When he looked down and his eyes met with that of a familiar cot. Ryou sat bolt upright with an '_Eek.' _His sudden movement made him lightheaded and he sat still for a moment until the dizziness subsided.

As Ryou sat there in shock and slight pain from his bruised body, the doorway of the hut opened and sunlight burst into the small room, causing a groan to make its way from Ryou's throat as he covered his eyes gingerly. "So you're finally awake huh?" The deep, familiar voice asked as it made its way closer to the cot. When Ryou's eyes had adjusted to the sudden light, he looked up into the face of a smirking Akefia, who had his arms crossed and was looking down upon Ryou expectantly.

"Y-yeah… How long was I out?" Ryou asked tentatively.

"You blacked out on the way here. Once I finally got us off the damned horse without one of us hittin' the dust head first, I brought you in here and you've been asleep since. It's late afternoon, so you've been out for about 10 hours." He shook his head in disbelief. "You sleep like a rock." Ryou blushed at his lack of an internal alarm clock.

His blush faded quickly however, and he began to wring his hands nervously. Casting his eyes towards the floor, he asked a question that has been tugging at his mind since he woke up. "W-why am I in your cot?" He flinched at the sound of his own words and braced himself to be thrown from his place hunkered down on the bedding.

There was a pause of tense, awkward silence before Akefia cleared his throat. "Moron, with as banged up as you are, if I had you sleep in your usually place, I wouldn't be able to put you back to work as soon as you woke up." The thief stated this as if were a well known fact, trying to ignore the small conscience of his that suggested that it may be a lie.

Ryou's blush returned ten-fold. _'Of course! How stupid can I be to think that he had done anything to me, or that he had done something simply out of kindness?' _Ryou nearly laughed at himself out of embarrassment. How could he possibly think that a cruel criminal like him would be generous? Or take interest in him? At that, the boy's resolve hardened, his blush dispersed, and his back stiffened. From now on he wouldn't let his imagination run wild or his emotions get the best of him. He was just as much a slave now as he was before, a tool for a thief's disposal, his meek knowledge the only thing keeping him from being thrown into the desert to his own defenses.

Akefia sensed the change in the boy before him and frowned. _'What's up with him?'_ He thought coarsely. '_I do something nice considering the situation and he's being a bipolar ingrate.'_ Despite, his thoughts, he felt his heart let out a dull pang of pain. He didn't like this new version of the kid, though he'd never admit to anyone or himself that it had any effect on him.

That afternoon was spent in silence, working side by side in the early evening heat. They were so close to one another, yet there seemed to be an endless abyss dividing them. If he wanted to, '_not that I do_,' Akefia thought to himself, he could have reached out to touch boys face or combed through his hair. Instead he kept his eyes ahead of him and Ryou's stayed on the ground. They collected what was necessary to eat that night and then headed back, trudging their way to the hut in tension.

Akefia wished he could yell at the boy, hit him, something! In order to get some sort of reaction. But Ryou simply followed behind in obedience without a hint of emotion or even thought crossing his features. It was like he became a walking, breathing statue.

'_That's it! I can't take it! If the kid wants to play it that way, so be it!' _Akefia growled to himself in great agitation. He tries to be nice, and then the kid is an ingrateful prick about it. _'The Hell?!'_ When they reached the hut they shared and entered inside, Ryou waited silently along one edge of the room.

"How hungry are you?" Akefia asked in a commanding tone, grating the words out as if they were painful. When Ryou didn't respond or lift his head from its bowed position the thief raised his voice. "Hello?! I asked you a damned question! The least you could do is answer me!" Suddenly Ryou, in an almost snarky attitude said:

"And since when has a thief ever cared about his slave's well-being or what he wants?" Ryou's voice was low and he practically mumbled the words to himself. But Akefia heard him. Oh he definitely heard him alright. In fact, he was fuming now, his face distorted into a menacing scowl that would have made Ryou tremble if he were looking up. '_Who the hell does he think I he is? I offer him food and he replies like THAT?! Bloody little bastard!"_

A loud crack resounded throughout the small room in intense waves. There was a moment of stunned silence afterwards, Akefia's hand still raised in the air. Ryou's head was whipped sideways and his eyes were wide with shock. His cheek stung painfully as a dark bruise began to form on his pale skin. The tension continued to build.

"How dare you…" Akefia hissed. His voice shook in both anger at the boy and in surprise at what he'd done. Ryou recovered from the harsh reprimand and looked up to glare at the thief, but his eyes were filling rapidly with tears, and before he would let the man enjoy the sight of seeing him cry, he dashed to his tiny closet-like room and slammed the door shut.

Akefia finally let out a short and very loud yell in frustration, punching the wall with great force in the hopes of letting some of his pent up anger go. He sat down gruffly on his cot with a harsh _whumph _and then devoured his meal quickly. When he finished eating, he fell over onto his side, turned to face the wall and stared at it in distaste. H ewould not let his actions get to him… He didn't care…

Meanwhile, Ryou silently sobbed in his small room, lying down on his make-shift bed, hand to his cheek. He felt terrible, like a child that was just caught red-handed stealing, but he wouldn't admit that he did anything wrong. After all, he was simply stating what he thought was a fact. He was just a tool. He stared at his own wall, racking his mind for a way he might be able to escape…

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HELLO WORLD AND ALL WHO INHABIT IT! I LIVE! Haha I know that it has been FOREVER since I last updated, so here you go! A wonderful person gave me that last umpf of motivation I need to get my butt working on this next chapter and finishing it. It's not as long as I had wanted it to be, but now that I'm finally figuring out where I want this story to go and how I want it to end, I needed to end the chapter here. I hope you guys enjoy the update! It's getting intense now :3 Review if you like, I LOVE the feedback! It truly help me spit this stuff out faster haha X)


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